October_19_2011

N

OCTOBER 19, 2011

O R T H

C

C

A R O L I N A

E N T R A L

UN

I V E R S I T Y

919 530 7116/CAMPUSECHO@NCCU.EDU

1801 FAYETTEVILLE STREET DURHAM, NC 27707

Campus . . . . . . . . . .

1-4 4

Beyond . . . . . . . . . .

5

Feature . . . . . . . . .

6-7 7

A&E . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8-9 9

Sports . . . . . . . . . . .

10

Opinion . . . . . . . . . .

11-1 12

VOLUME 103, ISSUE 4

Photo Feature

Beyond

A&E

Sports

9th annual Adrian Carroll HBCU/High school Battle of the Bands blaze O’KellyRiddick stadium.

Former presidential candidate says college sports are dumbing down society as a whole.

Echo examines the imagery and aesthetics of the Occupy movement.

Ouch! It was 52-3.

Eagles match their all time worst defeat.

Page 5

Page 9

Page 10

Page 6-7

Campus Echo

MLK NATIONAL MEMORIAL DEDICATED

“I have a dream,” he cried again and again. And each time the dream was a promise out of our ancient articles of faith: phrases from the Constitution ... guarantees from the Bill of Rights. He was full of the cadences of the Bible. He was both militant and sad, and he sent the crowd away feeling that the long journey had been worthwhile.

JAMES RESTON ~ NEW YORK TIMES, AUG. 28, 1963

Tough cuts ahead Title III funding under threat

BY AARON SAUNDERS ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

the King memorial, which cost $120 million and

N.C. Central University and other minority institutions are in danger of losing millions of dollars next year if the Republican-led House appropriations committee has its way in the 2012 fiscal year.

If passed the cuts would terminate U.S. Education Department programs for tribal colleges and significantly reduce funds for HBCUs, especially Title III funds.

If the plan passes, the Strengthening HBCUs program funding would be cut from $236 million to $152 million in the 2012 fiscal year, according to Diverse Education magazine.

The House GOP plan would also eliminate a $9.6 million program for HBCUs, a $26 million tribal college program, a $13 million aid program for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, a $ 3.2 million program for colleges with significant enrollments of Asian American/Pacific Islander students, and a $3.2 million initiative for nontribal institutions with significant Native American enrollments.

“In these harsh econom-

n See MLK Page 5

n See TITLE III Page 2

People take pictures during the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King Memorial on the National Mall, Sunday, in Washington, D.C

P

PHOTO

BY

OLIVIER DOULIERY/Abaca Press (MCT) ~ STORY

BY

DANIEL LIPPMAN/McClatchy Newspapers

resident Barack Obama and civil rights leaders on Sunday helped dedicate a memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with thousands of spectators watching, almost two months after it was originally scheduled to be dedicated. Obama, the nation's first black president, who benefited enormously from the victories won by the civil rights movement, called King a man who “somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideals, a man

who stirred our conscience and thereby helped make our union more perfect."

The centerpiece of the

national memorial, the first on the National Mall honoring a non-president and an African-American, is a 30-

foot-high, 12-foot-wide granite sculpture of King with his arms crossed.

Nearby, a white granite

wall displays 14 quotations from King's speeches and writings.

Facing the Tidal Basin,

Global trend reaches South Over 100 people gathered for Occupy Durham at the CCB plaza

BY MATT PHILLIPS ECHO A&E EDITOR

The revolution will be improvised.

Sunday, nearly one hundred “Occupy Durham” protestors gathered at CCB Plaza downtown. The demonstration was held in solidarity with “Occupy Wall Street.”

Tuesday afternoon, the protestors complied with the city’s orders to remove their tents from the plaza, although on Sunday they said they would remain in place for the foreseeable future.

“We are here to establish a new era of constructive participation,” said a community organizer from the unified communities working group.

“We are here for each other,” he said. “We sent a clarion call to all in our communities that now is the time.

“In the spirit of genuine democracy, we will defer decision-making to no hierarchy or any establishment of leadership, but will build upon the consent of this assembly.”

“Occupy Wall Street” — now a global movement — started with a brief statement in the Canadian-based Adbusters magazine, “See you on Wall Street. Sept. 17.

A 99 percenter gets her message out in Durham’s CCB Plaza Sunday.

MATTHEW PHILLIPS/Echo A&E editor

Bring Tent.” Adbusters is an anti-consumerist publication with a large readership in North America.

Since then protestors describing themselves as the 99 percent have flooded into New York City’s Zuccotti Park as well as other major

cities.

The 99 percent label is a reference to the holding of the majority of the world’s wealth by 1 percent of the population.

“Occupy Durham” protestors had various reasons for assembling. Some cited cor-

porate greed; others were disenfranchised by the monetary influence of the election process.

Chapel Hill resident Alissa Ellis voiced opposition to the local election influence of Republican Art Pope.

“He [Pope] has co-opted a process that is sacred, people should have access to participate. One individual should not be able to fill the legislature. He owns our representation,” said Ellis.

As previously reported by Campus Echo, Pope is head of the Pope Foundation, a financial backer of the rescinded proposal to form a Constitutional Law Center at NCCU. Students from local universities were also in attendance.

“I’ve been following ‘Occupy Wall Street’ and am really intrigued by how it has spread. It’s cool people are coming together,” said N.C. Central University graduate student Princess Ojiaku.

She said she has concerns about government policy involving scientific advancement, “There are intersections of science and policy.

As technology advances there are more conflicts.”

Ojiaku is tentatively planning to pursue a doctorate

n See OCCUPY Page 2

Life lessons

Cancer does not stop NCCU prof

Rebecca Soper teaching speech communication in the Farrison-N Newton Communication Building.

ISH HINSON /Echo photo editor

BY MYAVA MITCHELL ECHO STAFF REPORTER

She looks healthy. She looks happy. She’s energetic.

She is attentive to her students’ needs. You wouldn’t know it, but she’s battling breast and bone cancer.

Rebecca Soper, an instructor in the Department of English and Mass Communication, says she doesn’t want people to feel sorry for her.

She said she sees her cancer as something that’s teaching her a lesson about life.

She said she is the type of person who wakes up every morning saying, “This is going to be a good day.”

Soper said she’s known about her breast cancer for three years.

Her first surgery, a mastectomy, was in October 12, 2008. Bone cancer showed up in May 2010.

Since then, her weakened immune system and complications from chemotherapy treatments have led to multiple staph infections and diabetes.

n See SOPER Page 2

2 N

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of death among women. Common symptoms of breast cancer are change in the look or feel of the breast, change in the look or feel of the nipple, and nipple discharge.

The key to breast cancer survival is treatment and early detection.

“I made a conscious decision a long time ago to go through with realizing that it’s a blessing,” said Soper.

“I decided to be honest with my students because they were experiencing it with me.”

Soper has taught courses in speech and interpersonal and small group communication at N.C. Central University for 12 years. She was born in Iowa and went to college in California and Colorado.

She said she loves NCCU and calls it “home.” In fact, her sons, Jason and Morgan, are members of the Eagle family as well. Jason, 32, studied political science and graduated in 2007.

Morgan, 28, is a nursing junior set to graduate in June 2013.

She says her children are worried but prepared; however, they are not ready to lose her.

Soper wasn’t always a teacher. She started working in 1973 as an industrial trainer in information tech-

O R T H

C

Campus A R O L I N A

C

E N T R A L

UN

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

IVERSITY

SOPER

TITLE III

OCCUPY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

nology and sales for a furniture chain.

While she was working on her master’s degree in organizational communication, a classmate asked her if she was interested in teaching at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver.

She said she only agreed to the position “reluctantly,” but soon fell in love with teaching.

Since then she has taught at North Carolina State University, and Hartnell College and Monterey Peninsula College in California, before settling in at NCCU. “Teaching came to me, I didn’t come to it,” said Soper.

And come to her it did.

Ask any of her present and former students about how they feel about Soper and you’ll get a clear and simple answer: She’s a great teacher who’s had a powerful impact on her students.

“I went through it with Soper,” said mass communication junior Ishmael Hinson.

“At first it was scary because her and my mother were both fighting cancer at the same time. She is much better now and seeing her conquer it was inspirational.

She is a strong person.”

Not only do her students love and admire her, her coworkers are also huge fans.

Jim Pearce, associate pro-

fessor of English and director of MA program of English, got to know her during his time as department chair.

He noticed that she had the highest Student Ratings of Instruction of any teacher in the department. He says she never received any complaints.

He also said that she is one of the people faculty go to during difficult times.

She is more focused about the well being of others than herself, according to Pearce.

“She is one of the most authentic people I’ve ever met. So few people know of her illness because she has no self-pity,” said Pearce.

She shows these admirable characteristics in her teaching.

In her lectures she relates her teachings to her life situations and when she mentions her illness, it is never in a negative way.

“My students motivate me to keep going,” said Soper.

“They teach me more than I teach them. They keep me young.”

She says that everyone will have to leave this world one day and finds it comforting that she knows when she will leave.

“I don’t want people to cry at my funeral. I want them to celebrate because I have lived a long and beautiful life,” said Soper.

Campus Echo Online No kidding!

Free classified ads for anyone with an @nccu e-m mail account.

www.campusecho.com/classifieds

ic times we need to do better with the way we manage our money, but I do not believe that cutting the 36 percent of Title III funding [is the step to take],” said SGA vice president Carmelo Montalvo.

Title III is a federal grant program designed to improve education.

The Program has two parts, A which helps institutes of higher education to become selfsufficient and serve low income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability of eligible institutions.

Part B is geared toward strengthening HBCU’s with assistance to strengthen their physical plants, financial management and academic resources.

The man behind the cuts is House appropriation chairman Hal Rogers, a Republican from Kentucky’s 5th district.

Rogers told Diverse Education, that the proposal makes tough but necessary choices in setting federal priorities.

“To protect critical programs and services that many Americans rely on especially in this time of financial crisis — the bill takes decisive action to cut duplicative, inefficient and wasteful spending to help get these agency budgets onto sustainable financial footing,” he said.

But Rogers hasn’t always shown such fiscal restraint.

According to Citizens

for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Rogers has funneled $236 million in federal funds to nonprofit groups, business associates, donors and current and former aids since the year 2000.

Chancellor Charlie Nelms was so concerned by the possible cuts he sent a campus-wide call for NCCU students, faculty and staff encouraging to contact their congress members.

“We cannot sit in stunned disbelief as our lawmakers choose to subvert the interests of the people they were elected to serve,” wrote Nelms.

“Now is the time to tell our elected officials to invest in education as the essential building block of the human infrastructure necessary for future prosperity.”

Federal Title III help fund several NCCU programs at NCCU including, WNCU, Centennial Scholars, and University College.

According to Norma Petway, director of the Quality Service Initiative, Title III funding is critical to the QSI initiative because it pays for staff training .

“Without the training staff, QSI will almost come to a complete stop,” said Petway, adding that constituents of the University need to contact their representatives.

“If we as a country continue to say our education is what fuels our economic success, we can’t keep cutting into our higher education,” said Montalvo.

Occupy Durham protester MATTHEW PHILLIPS/Echo A&E editor

level degree, in part because of the poor job market.

“It’s not fair what the banks are not being held responsible for. They keep doing it without repercussions,” said Kadeem Peace, a Durham Technical Community College student hoping to transfer to NCCU. Other activist organizations had representatives in attendance including North Carolina Peace Action, the Triangle Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Democracy North Carolina and the Committee to End Corporate Personhood.

A representative from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations addressed the crowd. The AFL-CIO is a national federation of unions with membership in the millions.

“The AFL-CIO stands ready to assist you in your endeavors,” said triangle labor counsel union rep Michael Gravinese.

Sunday’s “Occupy Durham” demonstration followed “Occupy” protests Saturday in London, Rome, Boston, Chicago, Toronto and other major European and North American cities. In New York thousands gathered in Times Square, spurred on by the global social unrest.

PROMPT • PROFESSIONAL • COURTEOUS

NCCU STUDENT DISCOUNTS some restrictions apply

for reservations 919.682.0437 855.682.0437 (toll free) reservations@abctaxicabdurham.com all major credit cards accepted see us on the web at www.abctaxicabdurham.com

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

Talent show All men invited to represent

N

OR T H

C

A R O L I N A

C

E N TR A L

UN

3 IVERSITY

What happened to our concert?

No Homecoming concert leaves students with questions

BY JEROME BROWN JR

BY SHANITA PALMER

ECHO ASSISTANT EDITOR

ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Homecoming Week on the campus of N.C. Central University provides students, family, community and alumni a chance to celebrate, reconnect, and have fun.

There are step shows, reunions, and, up until three years ago,a Homecoming concert.

This year, for the third year in a row, there won’t be a Homecoming concert.

“I was looking forward to having one,” said mass communications freshman Adrian Bynum.

“I feel like we should have a concert, that’s something everybody would be interested if it’s possible.”

The past two years students have had to settle for guest artists at the predawn dance. Last year, rap group Travis Porter performed at the pre-dawn. In

Whether you are a male student, staff or faculty member, the Centennial Scholar Program and the department of athletics invites you to show off what you represent.

The “I Rep________” male talent show will take place in the New School of Education Auditorium on November 10 at 7 p.m.

Auditions for the show will be held to ensure a variety of acts. Auditions take place October 31 and November 2 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in room 146 of the Student Union.

Registration packets for auditions are available from Jason Dorsette, director of the scholars program, in the Student Services building.

“We would like to make this event happen once a year to recognize the positive things that men on NCCU’s campus are doing,” said Dorsette.

“The bad things are always broadcasted; we just want to shine some light on the positive things.”

Admission to the talent show is free but event sponsors are asking for $3 donations at the door.

All proceeds will go toward book vouchers for CSP members.

Three canned goods also will be accepted in place of cash donations. The canned goods will be donated to families in the community in need of food for the holidays.

The fraternity coming in first place at the homecoming step show will be the opening act of the talent show.

Special guests from K97.5 radio will judge the contest.

The winner will be crowned and awarded a trophy. Second and third place winners will be acknowledged, as well.

CSP, with more than 350 members, was founded by Kevin Rome, vice chancellor of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, in 2009.

According to Dorsette, Rome’s intentions were to change and improve the men at N.C. Central University by tracking them from their first day on campus until graduation.

Rome defined the men in the program as scholars.

“Call them what they have potential to be, they may act like it,” he said.

Newly admitted males revive invitations to join CSP at the beginning of each academic year.

They must be able to demonstrate why they would like to become members, and must abide by the ten CSP commitments.

The commitment to change and improve that the program has made to the men has drastically changed them, according to Dorsette.

“After the first year, we saw improvement in men’s appearance, campus involvement, attitude, and academic performance,” he said.

Campus 2009 rapper Shawty Lo was the guest artist.

This year’s pre-dawn also features a guest artist, yet to be named.

Events such as assemblies, pre-dawns, and the Homecoming Concert are selected by the Student Activities Board.

These events are funded through the $122.47/semester Student Activity Fee included in tuition.

Student activity fees steadily increased by 34 percent since 2008, the last time there was a concert.

The sparsely attended 2008 show featured R&B singer Lloyd and rapper Ludacris as headliners.

In years past artists such as Young Jeezy, T.I., and Lil’ Wayne have performed.

The lack of a concert wasn’t a surprise to elementary education senior Kalah Taylor.

“It wasn’t a surprise to me, it’s always been like

Arab and Soulja Boy at NCCU’s 2007 Homecoming concert Echo file photo

this,” said Taylor. “I feel like when we did have a concert, nobody showed up, so why would they go the extra mile to have a concert? It’s more to life than having a concert, it’s

not that serious.”

Representatives from SAB declined to speak to the Campus Echo until after Homecoming.

No concert has some students genuinely upset.

“This is my senior year, it makes it hard to show school spirit when we can’t compete with other HBCU homecomings,” said business senior Charles Hunt.

Pierce captivates and motivates

NCCU dean speaks to undergraduates for first time at Tuesday 10:40 break informational

BY AARON SAUNDERS ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Every year over 50,000 people apply to law school, however only 53 percent of applicants are actually accepted.

According to Law school dean Raymond Pierce, the acceptance rate at N.C. Central University is about 20 percent.

“The hardest part about law school is getting into law school,” said Pierce.

On Tuesday at 10:40 break

Pierce spoke to prospective law students about preparing for the LSAT, Raymond attending Pierce the law school, and the legal profession.

“I want to inform students about what it takes to get into law school and dispel some of the harmful perceptions about that

process,” said Pierce.

This is Pierce’s first time conducting his informational at NCCU, but every year he travels to Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania where he speaks to the undergraduates at Morgan State, Coppin State, Virginia Union, Virginia Stat, Cheyney and Lincoln University.

“I thought I’m doing this at other school s I might as well do this at my school,” said Pierce.

According to Pierce the

number applicants have jumped from 1000 to 3600 since starting the informational.

“Doing this informational has increased applications to our law school, particularly amongst the African Americans and not just the ones who attend HBCUs,” he said.

In 2010 the U.S. world news and report ranked the Law School one of the best value law schools in the nation.

“We are the signature

program of N.C. Central University,” he said.

According to Pierce, those who are most successful and most prepared are the students who come from schools that have strong pre-law programs.

“A good pre-law program can help you immensely,” he said.

Pierce also added that 90 percent of a students entrance into law school will be based on their GPA and LSAT scores.

Men: step up

Speaker says men must help reduce domestic violence

BY ASIA QUIMBY ECHO STAFF REPORTER

The numbers are troubling: one in three college women say they have been in an abusive dating relationship, according to a 2011 college dating violence and abuse poll.

Part of the problem is that men don’t step up to help end domestic violence, according to educator, activist, and author Tony Porter.

Porter spoke October 11 at the Alfonso Elder Student Union. His talk was sponsored by the N.C. Central University Women’s Center.

“Most men are good men and won’t perpetrate,” said Porter. “The challenge is to stand up.”

United Christian Campus Ministry

Porter is co-founder of A Call To Men: The National Association of Men and Women Committed to Ending Violence Against Women.

The organization addresses domestic and sexual violence prevention, and promotes healthy manhood.

According to the college dating poll, 58 percent of college students say they don’t know how to help someone who is a victim of dating abuse. The poll was conducted by Love Is Not Abuse, an organization founded by clothing designer Liz Claiborne.

Porter said men aren’t taught to stand up when they see domestic violence occurring.

“Even if they know

about it they don't do anything to stop it," he said.

April Jenkins, sexual assault and domestic violence coordinator for NCCU’s Women’s Center, said the event was a kickoff for domestic violence month and an opportunity to discuss domestic violence in the African American community.

Male students interested in helping with domestic violence and sexual assault prevention can stop by The Women’s Center for information about the center’s Men Creating Change program.

Men Creating Change aims to reduce violence against women by all forms of oppression, including racism and homophobia.

An exciting new course!

Global Studies (GLST) 1000 THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE IN LITERATURE & FILM SPRING SEMESTER 2012

We will read selected literary works and view films produced by African writers and filmmakers. Students will be introduced to the principal features of African civilization and culture through examination of geopolitical context, historical themes, gender issues, as well as social, political, economic, religious and aesthetic characteristics of both traditional and modern Africa.

For more information, contact Dr. Debra Boyd at 530-7209, Farrison-Newton Communications, Rm. 231, or dboyd@nccu.edu

Health Careers Center N.C. Central University 521 Nelson Street Durham, NC 27707

525 Nelson Street, NCCU Campus

JOIN US! Get involved with Campus Ministries today!

Bible Study in the Centennial Chapel, Fayetteville Street Thursday, Oct 20, 6 pm Reverend Dr. Cornelius E. Battle Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church

Michael D. Page Campus Minister For more information contact Rev. Michael Page at 530-5263 or by e-mail at mpage@nccu.edu

Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm 919 530-7128

Find out more about our Special Programs • Boston University Early Medical School Selection Program • Clinical Health Summer Program NCCU/Duke University Medical Center • North Carolina Access, Retention and Completion Initiative in the Allied Health Sciences (NC-ARC) Course Number BIOL2030. This course gives students an overview of allied health professions and facilitates acceptance into the School of Allied Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

More Opportunities are available. Contact us.

Charles E. McClinton, Ph.D., Director Alfreda D. Evans, Student Services Coordinator

For more than 35 years NCCU’s Health Careers Center staff has been developing pre-health professional students into viable candidates for health and medical careers by providing: • Advocacy • Counseling • Enrichment Activities • Health Career Network Access • Health Career Recruitment • Information • Internships & Shadowing Experiences • Standardized Test Prep Workshops • Other services and activities

Campus

4 N

O R TH

C

A R O L I N A

C

E N TR A L

UN

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

IVER SITY

Centennial Scholars on the move Program aims to improve academic and other outcomes of NCCU’s black males

BY L ACQUANNA LUCAS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

The national six-year graduation rate for black males at four-year public colleges is a dismal 31 percent, according to the Department of Education.

Over the last decade N.C. Central University black males have had a sixyear graduation rate averaging between 33 and 39

percent.

In light of this, Kevin Rome, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, decided in 2009 to establish what is now known as the Centennial Scholars Program.

“My goal is to have African-American males who can hold their own against any males coming from anywhere in the

world,” he said in a 2010 press release.

The program, one of many across the country, is designed to focus on the critical issues of retention and dropout rates of African American males.

According to Rome the program forms a cohort of black males when they first arrive at NCCU then “creates an environment for success.”

The program, which has received support from Title II and the Lumina Foundation, is a comprehensive learning community designed to promote African-American males who understand the importance of academic readiness and accountability.

“The black male graduation rate was pretty low and it’s not just a NCCU issue it is a nationwide

issue,” said Ardell J. Sanders, associate director of the Centennial Scholars Program.

The program is seeing success.

According to Sanders, the average GPA of black male students in the class of 2013 not involved with the Centennial Scholars Program is 2.2.

The GPA of a black male student in the same class

involved in the program average G.P.A is 2.8.

“Being in the Centennial Scholars Program has helped me set the platform for academic success and professionalism,” said Jimmy Woods business administration/theatre performance junior.

“It has also taught me how to do college the right way — leadership, organization and ethical skills.”

Sound it out Kids get caught up with language therapy at NCCU’s ATIPP clinic

BY TERESA INGRAM ECHO STAFF REPORTER

You can also get textbook purchase and rental prices at our BLINK! advertisement at the Campus Echo Online at www.campusecho.com.

Pregnant? Certain?

Need to talk?

• Free & confidential pregnancy tests • Limited STD testing • Limited ultrasound • Community resources

To schedule an appointment call 919.490.0203 or 919.942.7319

GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR PARENTS’ BUCK. Come to Zaxby’s between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. every day for our Student Meal!

Just present a valid student ID and get a Big Zax Snak for only $4.49. ®

®

OFFER VALID AT THIS LOCATION ONLY:

3820 N. Roxboro St. t Durham 919.251.9650

Limited-time offer. Each restaurant independently owned and operated. Offer not valid at any other locations. Must present a valid student ID to receive offer. © 2011 Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. “Zaxby’s” and “Zax Snak” are registered trademarks of Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc.

For two hours every Tuesday and Thursday things are hopping with seven 2-5 year olds at N.C. Central University’s ATIPP clinic.

The children are full of smiles. The graduate students are animated and high spirited.

The classroom is decorated with posters, artifacts, games and activities — all bursting with color.

The preschoolers are called to gather in a circle.

They are excited.

Will it be a story? Maybe they’ll be reading “My First Words – Let’s Get Talking.”

Who knows? Perhaps the iPads are coming out today.

Maybe, just maybe, it’ll be an app like Talking Tom or ABC Tracer. Parents look on.

They are all smiles.

ATIPP — the Assistive Technology for Infants and Preschoolers Project — is a comprehensive therapeutic center for children having trouble with their speech, language or hearing.

“ATIPP is a huge blessing to our family,” said Asher Johnson’s mother.

“We are excited to get to be a part of these services … we’re really glad we found out about it.”

ATIPP is the brainchild of Sheila Bridges-Bond. The clinic’s director founded ATIPP in 1998 in partnership with the National Black child Development Institute.

Over the years it has received support from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the Rehab Therapy Foundation, U.S. Department of Education and private donations.

Bridges-Bond, an expert in speech pathology and the interim chair of the Department of Communication Disorders, says she was influenced by her grandfather Fletcher D. Wharton, who became blind as a result of glaucoma, and

by Anne Sullivan, the teacher of the deaf and blind author and activist Helen Keller.

Sullivan is known for figuring out how to break through Keller’s lack of language and allowing the young Keller to learn to communicate.

Sullian got Keller to real-

Asher Johnson gets a lesson in letters from graduate student Memory White as another graduate student, Hilary Brown, records her observations.

TAHJ GILES/Echo staff photographer

ize that objects have names by running cold water over one hand while spelling “water” with her finger on Keller’s other hand.

“I knew I wanted to be in the helping profession and serve individuals with disabilities,” said BridgesBond, reflecting on the influence of Sullivan on her career.

Bridges-Bond is assisted with the clinic’s day-to-day operations by Zaneta Ponton, the clinic’s supervisor. Ponton also developed a passion for helping at an early age.

She said she was influenced by the needs of her godsister who was diagnosed with deafness at 2 years old.

Like Bridges-Bond, Ponton is proud of the service the clinic provides.

“I believe in the program,” said Ponton, adding that the clinic provides a valuable service to families whose children need a little assist.

At the center of the action in the clinic are NCCU graduate students working on master degrees in communication disorders.

Kelsie Ward said she feels “lucky and thankful” to be able to work with the preschoolers. “ATIPP has opened my eyes,” she said, “to the wonderful world of

augmentative communication and assistive technology.”

Sauna Marie Philips said her work with the preschoolers “is an absolute pleasure.” According to Philips the technology helps them capture the preschooler’s interest.

“It is gratifying to see their faces light up when we use an iPad program like Talking Tom, for example, or a visual and auditory storybook application to facilitate and develop language, literacy and learning skills.”

Memory White said they use framework called the Universal Design for Learning that provides learners with “multiple means of engagement, representation and expression.”

She said technology — such as the iPad — helps motivate the preschoolers.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to see these children succeed in their goals,” said White.

“The parents and the children are entrusting you with a great responsibility, which is to provide a safe place for their children to learn, interact, and most importantly, TALK! “It is very challenging, but it is that challenge that make the rewards that much sweeter.”

Beyond NCCU

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

N

O R TH

C

A R O L I N A

C

E N TR A L

UN

5

IVER SITY

‘College athletics dumbing down society’ – Nader

MLK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

BY MATT KRUPNICK CONTRA COSTA TIMES (MCT)

Attendees hold a photograph of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King Memorial on the National Mall, Sunday, in Washington, D.C. OLIVIER DOULIERY/CAbaca Press (MCT)

opened Aug. 22, stands between the Lincoln Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial on the National Mall.

“It’s a good feeling just to look at him, a black man that made it to this level, to have him statueized,” said Johnita Cox, 70, a retired nursing assistant from Jackson, Ala. She took the train up to Washington and visited the memorial with a friend.

She recalled that when she and other black friends walked on the sidewalk to school, they had to step aside when white people came close. She said bricks would sometimes be thrown through the windows of her house.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think this man, Martin Luther King, would be memorialized right there.

I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” Cox said.

The message of Obama’s dedication speech, which began with some in the audience chanting “four more years” and touched on themes of fighting to overcome the hardships faced by King, seemed to echo some

of the challenges faced by the president himself.

Those challenges include repairing a weak economy beset by high unemployment,t and fighting against a sense that some Americans have that the nation is in decline.

“As tough as times may be, I know we will overcome.

I know there are better days ahead. I know this because of the man towering over us,” he said at the end of his speech.

“Let us keep striving; let us keep struggling; let us keep climbing toward that promised land of a nation and a world that is more fair, and more just and more equal for every single child of God.” The ceremony, attended by a mostly AfricanAmerican crowd, many wearing white hats bearing the slogan “Celebrate the Life, Dream, Legacy,” was a mix of speeches from people who knew King and musical interludes from artists such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and James Taylor.

The memorial had been scheduled to be dedicated on Aug. 28, the 48th anniver-

Transmission Rapair and Service • Brakes • Exhaust and Mufflers • Shocks, Struts and Suspension Service • Cooling System and Radiator Service • Air Conditining • Maintenance Tune-ups • Factory Recommended Maintenance

AAMCO RTP The Complete Car Care Experts 5116 S. Hwy 55, Durham, NC

919-493-2300

“an NCCU alumnus you can count on to serve your legal needs”

Johnson Law Office, PLLC 919.648.7575 cell 919.313.2731 office 2004 SOUTH MIAMI BLVD DURHAM, NC 27703

figure is not fully etched into the statue and compared that to the status of the civil rights and economic justice movements.

“The dream is still needing to be completed and fulfilled. He’s walking forward and he’s asking us to carve the rest out. We still have a lot of work to do,” he said.

Other people who traveled to see the monument and attend the dedication came to both witness history and remind their children about a man whose legacy continues to affect people today, more than 40 years after he was assassinated.

Marcus Johnson, 42, from Spartanburg, S.C., a federal Defense Department information technology employee, drove up with his wife, Angela, and their children .

“I was born after the civil rights movement, but I want my kids to understand what their grandparents and my grandparents had to endure in their lifetimes to give them the privileges that I have right now and what they have,” Johnson said.

(Lippmann is a McClatchy special correspondent.)

EGG DONORS NEEDED To help an infertile couple build a family,

become an anonymous egg donor at UNC! •Healthy, non-smokers, age 21-30 •~6-8 LOCAL appointments •$3,000 for completed cycles

Call (919) 966-1150 ext-5 to learn more!

Are you looking for a rewarding career where you can use your major and help people?

Residential Services is currently looking for Direct Support Professionals to work in our group homes for children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.

FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM

ATTORNEY MATHEW JOHNSON

sary of King’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” but Hurricane Irene forced a postponement.

One of those attending was Ernie Thomas, 71, a retired 20-year Air Force officer and state government employee, who flew to Washington from Moreno Valley, Calif.

“I think the memorial was long overdue,” he said while waiting in an early morning line to get in. He came with his wife and two adult daughters.

“I didn’t think I ever would see this day, bottom line, in my lifetime because things were moving in a slow pace and we had a lot of obstacles along the way,” he said. He told of “extreme racism” when he served in South Carolina for the Air Force from 1959 to 1964.

Valentine Antony, 25, a student at Appalachian State University, drove to Washington from North Carolina with his girlfriend for an economic justice rally on Saturday. He said the ideals that King stood for have not been fully realized yet.

Antony noted how King’s

• TRAFFIC • DUI

• INCORPORATION • CONTRACTS

• PERSONAL INJURY • RENTAL DISPUTES

www.johnsonlawofficepllc.com

BERKELEY, Calif. — Major universities such as the University of California, Berkeley should eliminate athletic scholarships or risk losing their academic luster, consumer advocate Ralph Nader told a standing-roomonly crowd Tuesday.

Speaking to more than 100 students, professors and others who packed a UC Berkeley lecture hall and most of a second room, the former presidential candidate said big-time college athletics has dumbed down society.

University resources that should be spent on academics are instead subsidizing entertainment, he said.

NCAA Division I athletes are pampered and abused, he added.

“If you get rid of the athletic scholarship, you deflate a lot of the problems,” Nader said. “Education is a secondary concern at big-time programs. Exploitation is the inevitable outcome.”

Nader’s remarks were at a public event associated with a UC Berkeley class on how an athletics program affects a university. The course is co-taught by Nader’s sister, UC Berkeley anthropology professor Laura Nader.

UC Berkeley has pumped up to $14 million per year from its general budget into the athletics department, leading to criticism of the administration as budget cuts have affected other parts of the campus. The UC Berkeley Academic Senate — the faculty’s governing body — in 2009 approved a resolution calling for the school’s athletic department to become selfsupporting.

Society’s attention to athletics, Nader said, has moved people down what he called the “sensuality ladder,” a theoretical scale of people’s interactions with

the world. Nader compared athletics to fast food, which “turns the tongue against the brain.”

“Your education is supposed to push you up the sensuality ladder,” he said.

Society’s path down the ladder is reflected in the fact that universities pay football coaches more than professors and that UC Berkeley alumni were more concerned about the elimination of the baseball team than the university’s role designing nuclear weapons, he said.

The audience appeared mostly supportive, loudly applauding Nader after his speech. Some spectators, however, appeared frustrated that Nader had not suggested more specific solutions.

Perhaps college athletes should be unionized in order to prevent abuses by students and coaches, said Thomas Frampton, a UC Berkeley law student.

“I think the genie’s out of the bottle, in terms of amateurism and college sports,” he said after the event. “We need to recognize (athletes) for what they are, which is employees.”

Nader’s attention strayed occasionally from athletics to other higher-education subjects. He questioned, for example, why the UC Berkeley law school employed “a war criminal,” saying professor John Yoo’s role in crafting President George W. Bush’s torture policies should not be tolerated.

He also told students they should design a statewide referendum to help slow continually rising tuition.

And, he said, college students no longer develop the “civic skills” needed to be leaders.

“That’s the skill that determines whether you’re going to make a difference in a democratic society,” Nader said, “or whether you’re going to atrophy your mind in a cul-de-sac.”

DRIVERS WANTED FOR RESEARCH STUDY Westat is seeking car owners who have a valid driver’s license and will allow a virtually unnoticeable data collection system to be installed in their personal vehicle for one or two years. There will be no permanent changes to the vehicle. $500 compensation provided per year DQG GDWD NHSW FRQÀGHQWLDO Go to: www.drivingstudy.org to get more information about the study.

Please contact us at 1-877-495-1556 and reference “Naturalistic Driving Study.”

Entry-level positions available, no experience necessary! Gain valuable experience beyond the classroom and make a difference in the lives of others. Part-time ($10.10/hr.) and full-time positions ($10.20/hr.) available.

Apply online at www.rsi-nc.org

EOE

High School Bands Battle it Out WE

6

N

O R TH

C

D N E S D A Y

, OCTO

AR O LIN A

C

BE R

19, 2011

EN TRAL

UN

7

IVERSI T Y

Photography by Chi Brown ~ Story by Wendy Wright

he ninth annual Adrian Carroll Official HBCU/High School Battle of the Bands was held Sunday, October 16th at N.C. Central University’s O’KellyRiddick Stadium.

This year the event was dedicated to bringing awareness to Breast Cancer.

T

Everyone wore pink in the honor of October being breast cancer awareness month.

The founder of the Battle of the Bands, Adrian Carroll, was pleased to team up with “NC Triangle Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure” to help raise money for Susan G. Komen.

The title sponsor for the event was the Thurgood Marshall College fund; it committed to awarding up to three tuition and fees scholarships to participating HBCU Marching Bands, and up to 12 book scholarships for the high school Marching Bands.

“The turnout was great, we got a lot of

support this year,” said Carroll Though the Battle of the Bands had more high school performances, N.C Central University, Winston Salem State University, and Howard University all preformed at the showcase.

There were three different divisions in the show; 3A which is the largest division,

2A the second largest, and 1A the smallest.

The champion for the 3A divison was Highland Springs high school from Virginia; they were also the winner overall competition and received the Grand Trophy.

The 2A champ was South Gwinnett

high school. And lastly the champ for 1A was Warren County high school.

The winners in each category received $300 from each division.

“We are planning to have our tenth annual Battle of the Bands here at Central next year,” said Carroll.

A&E

8 NO

R T H

C

A R O L I N A

C

E N TR A L

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

UN

IVER SITY

Video game shootout Call of Duty MW3 goes to war with Battlefield 3

B Y DAVID F ITTS ECHO ONLINE EDITOR

First Person Shooters — FPS — are loved by gamers worldwide.

Each year new versions are released, offering gamers a fresh, original experience.

However, when new installments of popular games are announced, fan buzz, media hype and publisher warfare surrounding which is superior becomes the rage.

A war that has raged for months will come to a head when Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 parachute onto store shelves, bringing the war home to eager gamers.

BF3 will be released Oct. 25 Call of Duty MW3 and Battlefield 3 compete for the first-p person shooter throne. and COD debuts Nov. 8.

Courtesy blistergaming.com Both titles have huge fan helped Makarov fulfill his goals. updated in COD. New ways to use bases and a lot to prove.

Right on COD's heels, BF3 is kickpoints earned during online play COD has dominated the throne for ing in the door, looking to usurp the allow gamers to obtain reward packa number of years and is trying to throne. BF3 has a smaller-scale blockages, providing them with new and old reign supreme. buster story. fan favorites to dominate the battleMW3 is a cinematic-styled series Set in the middle of a rescue misfield. that ended with a cliff hanger in a pre- sion during an invasion of Iran, BF3 A zombie survival mode is available vious installment, leaving gamers won- aims to provide a fresh experience in as well, letting fans mow down zombie dering what could be next. their single-player arsenal while still hoards at will.

In COD, U.S. Army Rangers and holding strong in their multiplayer So who is No. 1?

Task Force 141 reunite in the hunt for modes.

That remains to be determined. ultra-nationalist Vladimir Makarov.

A new "Deathmatch" mode is an However, speculation as to which A worldwide campaign follows the experience gamers welcome. one is the best will continue until both destruction of major U.S. cities caused COD is not taking BF3's additions games are released for $60 on PS3,

by Lieutenant General Shepherd, a lightly.

XBOX 360 and PC. traitor to the United States who Multiplayer modes have been Until then, the war will rage.

Bosslady reigns B Y B RITNEY E DWARDS ECHO STAFF REPORTER

Raleigh author SaVette Brown held a book signing Sunday to promote her debut novel, “BossLady: The Legend of Sydney Donovan Begins.”

Brown graduated from Shaw University with a B.A in Sociology in 2009. She plans to move to Atlanta to pursue more opportunities.

The native of Laurinburg, North Carolina started writing over 15 years ago.

She initially wanted to go to college to study English or Journalism, but family obligations prevented her from doing so. Brown has been compared to major writers such as E. Lynn Harris and Terry McMillan, two of her favorite writers.

“BossLady” follows the life of Sydney Donovan, a beautiful and ambitious woman who grew up in foster care.

At the age of 18, she meets a

woman named Karen, who introduces her to the drug game.

Sydney and her female crew quickly rise to the top of the drug world. Karen’s jealous husband, David Bell, views Sydney as a threat because she now stands in the way of him becoming the kingpin of the streets.

Bell is determined to put an end to Sydney’s reign as “BossLady.”

The idea for “BossLady” resulted

from Brown looking for a way to entertain herself.

"I was watching TV one day and then I just got bored and started writing," Brown said.

“BossLady” took almost a year to complete and publish. Brown did not encounter any problems during the process.

"It was smooth sailing and there were no issues at all. That‘s how you know something is meant to be. I know this is my time," she said.

Brown self-published her book, she hopes this will give her the upper-hand in negotiations with publishing companies.

"I wanted to have more to bring to the table. They can look at the book I already published and see that I am serious about this," Brown said.

“BossLady” is the first novel of a trilogy. Brown is currently working on the sequel, “California Sydney.”

“BossLady” is available online and at any bookstore.

12345 1234 123 12

Trending Topic #FTW (For The Win) #WTF (What The ...) #FAIL

TRASH

DJ Drama

Third Power E1

3out of 5 on the black hand side

The DJ who gave hip hop real drama with “Gangsta Grillz,” “The Dedication” and a number of other mixtapes has released a new powerhouse.

DJ Drama -- the official DJ for Grand Hustle -- has dropped his third official album, “Third Power.”

This album is for hip hop heads who love a beat with streetoriented lyrics and some bounce.

The track list consists of 12 collaborations with some of the best artists in the industry.

“Third Power” includes appearances from highcaliber emcees like Fabolous, J. Cole, Wale and Wiz Khalifa.

Vocals are provided by a few of the best in R&B: Trey Songz, Chris Brown and Akon.

Drumma Boy and others work to keep heads nodding on the track.

The first single from the album is “Oh My,” featuring Fabolous, Roscoe Dash and Wiz Khalifa. The song was produced by Drumma Boy. A great dance track, “Oh My” is sure to get people

on the dance floor.

The song debuted at 100 the week ending Aug. 6, 2011 on the Billboard Hot 100. The hook to this song is very catchy.

The “Oh My” remix is also on the album. This is one of the remixes worth listening to.

The track features Big Sean, 2 Chainz and Trey Songz. Trey Songz even kicks his own lyrics as he gives us a hot verse on the song.

Big Sean also freaks his delivery and shows us his word play and why we should be checking for him right now.

Another hot one on the album is “Under cover” featuring Chris Brown and J. Cole.

This is a song for the lover boys and the ladies.

Breezy laces the chorus and even drops a few bars to flex the lyrical skills, and J. Cole hits us with his laid-back flow.

“Locked Down,” featuring Ya Boy and Akon, is another joint worth some play.

Akon gives us a great hook over a soulful track.

Ya Boy put it down for California. This is one of those songs you could turn up loud and ride to.

Overall, “Third Power” is a good hip hop album. I give it 3 out of 5 on the black hand side.

— Zevandah Barnes

A&E

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

N

O R T H

C

A R O L I N A

C

E N T R A L

9 UN

IVER SITY

Protests spur design outburst Words, images mobilized by Occupy movement

BY MATT PHILLIPS ECHO A&E EDITOR

A young woman lifts a pink sign high above her head. Black-inked, large block letters read, “On occupied land since 1492.”

A older woman stands outside the Chapel Hill Post Office. Behind her, the American flag curls against itself in the wind.

She too holds a sign: A stenciled silhouette of two people waving a pennant that reads, “Solidarity, Students & Workers, take back our economy.”

A group of more than 100 people point their hands toward the clear sky, waving their fingers like pianists in symbolic affirmation.

These are all scenes from “Occupy Together” demonstrations in Chapel Hill and Durham last weekend.

All people communicating in some way: participatory democracy at work.

The “Occupy Together” movement has taken shape through a wide range of communication techniques, among them stencil-style posters and sign-making.

In downtown Chapel Hill, posters sympathetic to the movement have appeared pasted onto postal drop boxes and newspaper stands.

These unauthorized, paste-up posters depicting radical imagery and messages work on multiple levels.

Kenneth Andrews is an associate professor in the department of sociology at the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill.

Andrews’ research examines social movements, including their political and social impact.

“Presumably, what that [poster] style does is signal a kind of authenticity, a non-corporate mode of communication,” said Andrews.

According to Andrews, there is another possible effect: “You see some people become dismissive

through that method.”

The official posters of “Occupy Together” – available for free use by the 99 percent – denounce corporate greed and bring attention to a variety of social issues.

Graphic Designer Raina Dayne contributed a number of her designs to the movement.

She seeks no payment or credit.

Dayne said she hopes that people come together to fight against oppression in any way possible.

“The ‘Occupy Movement’ is really important to how our country progresses from this point on,” said Dayne.

“This movement really shows the feelings of a large majority of Americans.

They are unsatisfied and feel that their voices are not heard, or if they are heard, they are not validat-

ed.

“I’ve always felt that design by nature should be simple, straightforward,” Dayne said.

“Design is ultimately communication.”

Local design has focused on the bull, an image synonymous with Durham.

Hannah Peele is a Durham resident and designer.

She has created campaign-style buttons featuring the bull silhouette.

Peele pointed out that Durham was once considered the Wall Street of the South.

“For Durham the bull is a big symbol. Partly I was connecting our bull to the bull of Wall Street,” Peele said, referring to the economic term bull market.

Peele also mentioned the source of design in the “Occupy Together” movement.

“There is definitely a

Raina Dayne used her design skills to fuel “Occupy Together.”

COURTESY RAINA DAYNE

AND OCCUPYTOGETHER.ORG

A man demonstrates at the “Occupy Chapel Hill” general assembly.

CHI BROWN/Echo Photo Editor

certain aesthetic that is popular among designers, the young creative class that is unemployed or under employed,” Peele said.

“Design is a unifying force. Art has the ability to unite communities.”

Art and creative discourse have been a focus of the “Occupy Together” movement from the outset.

“Occupy Wall Street” protesters have formed an arts and culture committee.”

They hold daily meetings to discuss creative

endeavors related to their movement.

Recent minutes from a committee meeting proposed a creative method to repurpose materials in support of their message: “Proposal for performance art piece on plaza to shred tax documents to create beds for occupiers this November.

Occupiers would bring actual loan statements/ tax documents to be shredded on-site.

The shredded documents would be repurposed to create beds for

occupiers.”

While the movement’s message is anti-corporate, it is a paradox that protesters are forced to organize using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Perhaps the paradox is best addressed by another scene from last weekend.

A middle-aged man wearing a bright orange shirt, the number 99 written in permanent ink on his back, holds a sign that reads, “1% Y U no pay taxes?”

Sports

10 N

O R TH

C

A R O L I N A

C

E N TR A L

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

UN

IVER SITY

Bad news Bears

Fumbles and penalties send Eagles to 52-3 rout by Morgan State J ONATHAN A LEXANDER

BY

ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

Fumble! Fumble! Fumble!

The Eagles (1-6, 0-3) fumbled the ball eight times, losing half of them in its 4 p.m. contest on Saturday Oct 15.

The game seemed over early. The Eagles were down 42-3 at halftime against the Morgan State Bears (4-3, 3-1).

Many fans threw in the towel early and left O’KellyRiddick Stadium before the fourth quarter.

In the end, the conference game that many expected to be closer, quickly became a lopsided affair as the Eagles fell to the Bears 52-3.

“Everything you could think of happened,” head coach Henry Frazier said postgame.

“We got beat in every phase of the game. We committed every conceivable penalty there is to commit in football.

Morgan State whooped our tails from start to finish.”

Holding on to the ball has the been the Achilles heel for the Eagles this season.

Two fumbles led to last week’s 49-38 loss to the (4-3) Bulldogs of S.C. State.

The Eagles have fumbled the ball 17 times this season,

resulting in 11 turnovers, the second worst fumble total in the MEAC behind the Howard University Bisons.

“Embarrassed. It was a lack of focus and will to win as a team,” said returnman and running back Arthur Goforth.

“We have to bring more focus when we’re playing.”

Frazier seems adamant about finding different players in practice and getting them into the lineup.

In the postgame interview he said he wouldn’t hesitate to take the red-shirts status off of some freshmen if the veterans continued to fumble the ball.

“Its just focus,” said Frazier.

“Again we’re going to have just find some players that are going to play and be focused for 60 minutes.”

“We’ll identify some guys and we’ll put them in the lineup. I’m not going to keep going down with the same guys week in and week out.”

The Eagles dedicated their game against Morgan State to breast cancer awarness by wearing pink wristbands and hats to show their support. They titled it, “The Pink Game.”

red-sshirt freshman runningback Idreis Augustus fights for yardage in Saturday’s contest vs. the Morgan State Bears.

CHI BROWN/Echo photo editor

Pacing the pack

Men in pink

Freshman stays ahead of the learning curve J ONATHAN A LEXANDER

BY

ECHO SPORTS EDITOR

“Failure is not an option.”

These are the words that have paced two-time MEAC student-athlete of the week, freshman Amber Brooks, to all her success.

She found the quote from a sign in her class in high school, and now every time she walks in class she repeats, “Failure is not an option.”

Brooks has had much success on the trail this season, winning three out of the six tournaments she has run in. She also placed third out of 12 in the Duke Dual Meet, 31st out of 79 in the Elon Invitational and 13th out of 43 in the Greensboro XC Invitational.

She has been the front runner for the Lady Eagles in each tournament.

“I really didn’t know what to expect because I’m not from here. I didn’t know what the runners were like, so I just go out there and give it my all,” said Brooks.

Head coach Michael Lawson speaks highly of his freshman standout.

“One of the things with Amber is she really doesn’t question a lot, and she came from a good program,” said Lawson. “What makes her better is that she’s on time to everything, she pushes it, and she knows on bad days she has

Campus Echo Online No kidding: Free classified ads for anyone with an @nccu e-m mail account.

Go to: www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds www.campusecho.com/classifieds

Freshman Amber Brooks finishes first in the NCCU Eagle Classic.

JONATHAN ALEXANDER/Echo sports editor

to work even if she’s feeling sick.”

One would think the constant success of a younger athlete over veteran ones would cause envy, but Lawson assures that this is not the case.

“They receive her with

open arms. They have really bonded, and a matter of fact it’s pulling the other freshmen a little closer because they’re having success,” said Lawson.

Born and raised in Tampa Bay, Brooks was a high school standout and as

she calls it a “local celebrity.” Brooks was the recipient of the Dr. Ben Walker Girls Cross Country Award her senior year for her outstanding success on the trail.

She chose N.C. Central University over the likes of bigger schools such as University of South Florida.

“She probably won’t tell you, one of the main reasons she chose NCCU was because when we drove up in our pretty “Eagle One” bus, and she saw that pretty bus, she said ‘I’m going to that school,’” joked Lawson.

Brooks claims she does it all for her mother, Stephanie Brooks, a single parent, who raised her and her brother by herself.

The elder Brooks says she knew that her daughter would be a runner ever since she was young.

“At the age of six she won her first trophy for cross country. When she won that trophy that was the beginning of something new for her,” said Stephanie Brooks.

She also explains that Amber Brooks has a side that is noticeable upon meeting her.

“Amber is the most humble, caring, compassionate, she has a serious mindframe when it comes to doing what she needs to do to accomplish her goal, she has a love for people and I can tell you that her heart is just as pure as gold.”

Eagles wear pink for breast cancer awareness BY

T RENTON L ITTLE

ECHO SPORTS REPORTER

If you’ve watched a sporting event in the last two weeks you’ve noticed something you’d never thought you would see — grown men wearing pink.

No, pink is not a new fashion statement for athletes around the world.

The pink ribbon symbolizes support of breast cancer awareness.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and athletes have taken the initiative to inform society on how immense of an issue breast cancer is by wearing pink accessories like wristbands, towels and hats.

On Oct. 15, N. C. Central University’s football team dedicated their game against Morgan State to survivors of breast cancer titling the game, “The Pink Game.”

Fans were encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness.

NCCU teamed with Michael Jordan Nissan to help with funds towards Breast Cancer awareness programs by selling pink T-shirts and other pink accessories.

Players and coaches wore pink wristbands and hats to show their support.

“Breast cancer awareness is a good cause,” said head coach Henry Frazier.

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women behind skin cancer.

According to breastcancer.org, about 1 in 8 women in the U.S. (12 percent) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.

Less than one percent of men will develop the disease. If detected early, then the cure rate is over 95 percent.

The game connected with former junior cornerback Christopher White on a more personal level: He lost his mother to breast cancer in his freshman year.

“I feel like it was very important to dedicate the game to breast cancer awareness,” said White.

“It affects so many women globally.”

White said he deals with the loss of his mother daily.

“There’s no other woman like her,” he said.

“I’m still coping with that loss. She was my mother and father, my heart — there’s no relationship like a mother and son.”

It has been two years since White lost his mother.

“It threw me for a loop because I didn’t know what was going on,” said White.

EAGLELAND T-shirts sweats polo shirts decals license tags tote bags license frames baseball caps buttons mugs caps car flags pens pencils pennants pom poms bags ceramic eagles towels NCCU framed print, and much more.

Serving N.C. Central University If we don’t have it, we will get it.

If we can’t get it, it’s probably not worth having!

We have the best prices on Earth.

We do custom orders.

And we deliver on occasion!

Marvin Bass, Owner 2501 Fayetteville St. Durham, NC 27707

919 956-5393 eagleland@hotmail.com

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

NO

R TH

C

Opinions A R O L I N A

C

E N TR A L

UN

11 IVER SITY

Letters Alumna on Howell suspension Dear Campus Echo: I am writing this letter in response to the wellwritten article,”On the outside looking in: NCCU senior fights to be re-admitted after controversial suspension” regarding fellow NCCU student and member of the Gamma Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. by the name of Roddrick Howell.

He was suspended in late August, the beginning of this year’s fall semester.

Apparently, he was suspended because of an altercation with a young lady that occurred in North Carolina Central University’s James E. Shepard Library due to a mental breakdown that was later diagnosed as a manic episode with psychotic features.

It is quite disturbing that this institution sent him a letter signed by administrator Gary Brown while he was admitted to the William Ward mental facility at Duke University indicating that he was on interim suspension until his judicial hearing to determine whether his suspension would be permanent.

Roddrick, then, met with a North Carolina Central University (NCCU) therapist and psychologist from the Student Health & Counseling Services and a psychiatrist from Duke University stating that they had found him in stable mental condition and wrote letters on his behalf supporting his return to the university.

The hearing was finally held and it only lasted for an hour and a half without giving him the chance to provide a 20 minute oral argument or testimony.

Immediately, he was given his results of expulsion from the university for a full year, the maximum sentence.

According to the article, Howell stated, “There was

no pre-trial hearing; he was not read his rights; he was not given the option between a University committee or an administrative hearing; he was not given a student representative for the hearing; his parents were not contacted; he was not told he could have an attorney present; and he was not allowed to see evidence or witness testimony prior to the hearing.”

For his appeal, he brought three letters of documentation showing that with proper medication that with proper medication he could maintain good mental health and successfully return to his classes with psychiatric support available to him through NCCU’s Student Health and Counseling Services.

This question is puzzling, if their is proper documentation showing that Roddrick could maintain good mental health with proper medication taken, then why was he still not given a fair chance to return back to his university?

Looking at this situation, it clearly looks like NCCU has violated its own policies. I find that this incident has been unfairly judged; better yet, serves as injustice.

It truly saddens me that this university which is also my alma mater has turned their back on their own fellow student and eagle.

They have clipped off the wings of an eagle so that he may not soar.

NCCU’s motto is “truth and service.” Clearly, this situation is definitely not serving in the interest of the student.

How can this senior graduate in the spring 2012 and obtain a degree from this university if he has been expelled during his graduation year? This university has a mission to meet the educational needs of their student.

In Howell’s case, no needs have been met if he has been unfairly expelled from school. Matter of fact, this incident can truly affect student’s trust, student enrollment for NCCU as well as the NCCU Alumni Association.

If the university cannot treat their own students with respect while they are attending the university, why

would you expect for them to give back to the institution?

I understand he has been given another chance to appeal. Meanwhile, the proper procedures and immediate action needs to be taken in regard to the reinstatement of Roddrick Howell back into school.

Otherwise, further action should and will be taken to the state level.

Truth & Service, Martha Butler Butler is an NCCU alumna.

She graduated in May 2011 with a B.A. in history. She is a program co-chair with the National Council of Negro Women and a lead intern with NC Coordinating Committee for Elaine Marshall.

HBCU Digest editor on Howell suspension Dear Chancellor Nelms: I recently read an article in the Campus Echo regarding the interim suspension and consequent one-year expulsion of Mr. Roddrick Howell, following an on-campus incident on August 18 of this year.

As an HBCU alumnus, journalist, and national advocate for the progress of HBCU culture, I appeal to you to reconsider the facts and structure of this incident in light of firsthand information published in the article regarding Mr. Howell’s mental health challenges and judicial due process.

I admit I do not have all facts of this case, and do not make vague that this appeal to you is devoid of the necessary information that led your judicial committee to render its decision.

However, given that members of your counseling staff

have advocated for Mr. Howell’s reinstatement, and that your students are mobilizing in support of their classmate and in support of greater awareness and care for brothers and sisters who suffer from mental health challenges, you will find great benefit in heeding the call of your

student body now in what appears to be a culture changing moment for NCCU and the larger African-American community on the subject of mental health awareness.

Your campus has an opportunity to shape the narrative on how the African-American community confronts mental health and its affects on public safety, economic prosperity, social development and familial structure.

Mr. Howell’s example is a tale of how a potentially dangerous situation stemming from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, when addressed with dignity and care, can reap positive benefits for individuals and communities seeking better ways to care for the members of their village.

I understand that you and your administration hold the ultimate responsibility for the safety of the Eagle community, and I commend you and your judicial board for taking serious that charge.

However, other members of your staff have concluded that Mr. Howell is not only fit to resume his academic career, but to resume it with the same access, rights and privileges afforded to other students.

Chancellor Nelms, diagnosed mental health issues are as common and as manageable as other health maladies that affect our communities at disproportionate rates.

I encourage you to seize the opportunity to engage with your students, faculty and staff, hear their concerns and support for their classmate and student, and render a decision made in the interest of both Mr. Howell and the campus community.

From an internal public relations perspective, this is the fair and right thing to do.

From a media perspective, you will save yourself a world of trouble by doing the same.

Earlier this year, your sister campus, Saint Augustine’s College, made a decision to bar a student from graduation for making disparaging remarks about the administration and institution.

This incident prompted a global reaction from media and invested constituents, despite the decision being made without legal consequence or significant fear for holistic campus disruption.

If you do not approach this situation with greater care and concern for Mr. Howell and the Eagle family’s perspectives, I fear that you may find a similar situation for your campus.

In a hostile media community like Durham, I highly advise that you preempt this kind of reaction with a deliberate and heartfelt connection with your students on this matter.

North Carolina Central University is a leader on economic, social, academic and political matters affecting communities of color in the state of North Carolina and the nation.

You personally are a sought-after adviser on how advocates can change the discussion on how HBCUs do business, and the great need for them to continuing doing so.

Please, do not bring irreparable harm to your individual work, the diligence of your administration, and the pride of your students, by not affording this matter higher priority.

I am available to you at your convenience should you wish to discuss this matter further at 410-6354228.

I look forward to reporting your response to this matter, and the continuing success of the Eagle Nation.

Yours in Advocacy, Jarrett Carter Sr. Carter is the founding editor of HBCUDigest.com and the Executive Director of the The Center for HBCU Media Advocacy, Inc.

No kidding.

Free classified ads for anyone with an @nccu e-m mail account.

Campus Echo Online www.campusecho.com/classifieds

READ AND THEN RECYCLE

Opinions

12 NO

R T H

C

A R O L I N A

C

E N TR A L

UN

Campus Echo WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2011

IVER SITY

Black men in the system A

fter 22 years of incarceration Troy Davis was denied his American right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness after an application for a stay was denied in the 11th hour in less than 40 words by the United States Supreme Court.

Although his trial was highly publicized and eventually interJaleel nationalized he Hunt was but one of 846,000 black men currently being held in America’s prison system.

This is a problem.

This is a problem because African- Americans make up 12.6 percent of the total United States population and make up almost half of the prison population.

One must start to wonder if this is deliberate. One’s wonder turns to suspicion when prisons are being privatized allowing incarceration to become a business rather than a means of justice.

One must also take into account political agendas and their results, such as the War on Drugs and who it benefits and victimizes.

After contemplation the

I

Only a few are able to record their past and sell millions of records. The media creation of what a black man could be is disrespectful to what a black man should be.

answer becomes painstakingly obvious.

This initiative wages war on low class neighborhoods where drugs are readily available. In an environment where the economic recession effect is most felt, survivors survive by any means necessary.

In such cases of survival the punishment for being apprehended with the possession of drug paraphernalia is unrealistic.

According to LegalMatch.com violators of crack cocaine offenses can receive up to life in prison and have to pay court fines up to $500,000.

On top of this the media glorifies these predicaments as the only way for a black male to “make it.” The undermining of this reality leads our brother, fathers, uncles, cousins, and sons to chase the street dream.

This system perpetuates a deadly cycle that consumes

our communities. This system is in place to keep black men subservient and under control, but is kept in place by the way black men choose to live their life.

Because of the absence of an older black male in life young black men often get older but never grow up. This causes them to look for guidance in the black males in their life: The gangsters, pimps, and ex-convicts. These people attempt to chase the fame of the black American entertainer who raps about relations with multiple women, millions of dollars’ worth of jewelry, and constant bragging of overflowing bank accounts.

This pipe dream has one of two destinations: the graveyard or jail cell.

Only a few are able to record their past and sell millions of records. The media creation of what a black man could be is disrespectful to

what a black man should be.

It is true that the ownership of material things determines your monetary value it does not determine your value as a human being. To overcome this system black men must value qualities.

They must value honesty over deceit, individualism over conformity, wisdom over narrow-mindedness, courage over rashness and death over dishonor.

None of these qualities can be obtained without integrity and self- discipline, once obtained black men will be equipped for the leadership roles they were designed for.

Black men should contribute to the construction of their community vs. the destruction, must be a provider, and must remain poised in times of adversity.

If you do not possess the qualities of a man you cannot perform a man’s duties. You must become a man before you can become a father; this ensures the future of our race.

I understand that there are preexisting situations and that individuals are doing all they can to ensure the survival of their family, this is an attempt to prevent those situations arising before they should.

was created during the 18th century, Enlightenment.

The Illuminati is said to be a secret society that aims to mastermind events and control world affairs through governments and corporations to establish a New World Order.

Illuminati is a real organization, no doubt in that.

However, accusing people you do not know of “devil worshipping” is not fair regardless if they’re in the limelight or not. We personally don’t know who these people are, we just know what we see on television or in the tabloids.

That is not enough proof to accuse someone of being a part of a secret society plotting to take over the entire world.

Just browse through YouTube with any inquires you might have about a celebrity and their affiliation with the Illuminati. It won’t take long

for a host of videos to surface.

These videos, accusers say, are rife with symbols proving the artists link to the Illuminati.

But in fact these so-called Illuminati-related symbols have been around for longer than the organization itself.

The most common symbol used to prove Illuminati affiliation is the all seeing-eye or the pyramid.

Well, it’s been around since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs symbols to express supernatural meaning.

Artists using the all seeingeye or pyramid in their work could have an Egyptian affiliation as easily as an Illuminati affiliation.

Jay-Z, Beyonce, and even Kanye West have been in the industry since the 1990s and no one ever thought to make these accusations until now.

Question: How do you feel about NCCU Homecoming this year ?

“This year is going to be epic for me.

Last year I did not attend the events, but this year I am going to be at every event.”

—Najah Radford

Who’s in the Illuminati?

f you’re going to accuse someone of evil behavior and plots to destroy the world, you should back that accusation with undeniable evidence.

But it happens all the time.

Accusations are made, but no evidence is forthcoming.

Some of the biggest names in Riyah Hollywood have been under Exum scrutiny for years about their motives in the entertainment industry.

Names such as, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Kanye West, have been accused of being in a secret society widely known as the Illuminati.

The Illuminati was founded

by Adam Weishaupt in 1776. It

drawing by Rashaun Rucker

These artists have put in years of hard work to ensure that we, the public, are entertained.

They have attained great success, and now the public wants to claim their success is result of their membership in the Illuminati.

Where’s the logic in that?

Four years ago, before people were talking about these celebrities and their Illuminati affiliation, they were considered “the greatest artists in the industry.”

Surely, Illuminati was active four years ago, but no one ever heard of these accusations back then.

Granted some of the things people pinpoint in these conspiracy videos could possibly hold some truth.

But there’s yet to be a shred of evidence of any Illuminati affiliation.

“I am not complaining about Homecoming but at the same time Homecoming could be a whole lot better.”

—Steidrick Baker

“I am hype for Homecoming because when we do it we do it big.

In my opinion we have the GHOE!!!.”

—Satasia Johnson

Sound Off By Uyi Idahor

N ORTH C AROLINA C ENTRAL U NIVERSITY

Campus Echo Aaron Saunders, Editor-iin-C Chief

Jerome Brown Jr. Tommia Hayes Jonathan Alexander Matthew Phillips Belinda Dunn David Fitts Jr. Chioke Brown Uyi Idahor Morgan Crutchfield Neka Jones Ashley Gadsden Clinton Gentry Christina Allison Wendy Wright April Simon Asia Quimby Julian Melton Zevandah Barnes Christa Watson Riyah Exum Shawn Trimble Chatiqua Brown Tahj Giles Tevin Neely Bobby Faison

Assistant Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor A&E Editor A&E Editor Online Editor Photo Editor Opinions Assistant Editor Staff Photographer Staff Photographer Copy Editor Copy Editor Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter A&E contributor A&E Reviews/Videography Cartoonist Cartoonist

Faculty Adviser - Dr. Bruce dePyssler Alumni Advisers - Mike Williams, Sheena Johnson

Letters & Editorials The Echo welcomes letters and editorials. Letters to the editor should be less than 350 words. Editorials should be about 575 words. Include contact information. The Echo reserves the right to edit contributions for clarity, vulgarity, typos and miscellaneous grammatical gaffs. Opinions published in the Echo do not necessarily reflect those of the Echo editorial staff.

E-mail: campusecho@nccu.edu Web address: www.campusecho.com Phone: 919 530 7116 Fax: 919 530 7991 © NCCU Campus Echo/All rights reserved The Denita Monique Smith Newsroom Room 348, Farrison-Newton Communications Bldg.

NCCU, Durham, NC 27707

Campus Echo Online campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.comcampusecho.com campusecho.com campusecho.com